Jonathan’s journey: The giant tortoise made his way from the Seychelles to the remote island of St Helena more than a century ago
St Helena is a 122 square kilometre island in the middle of the South Atlantic and more than 1,200 miles from Angola, its nearest landmass – making it one of the world’s most remote islands.
Until recently, the only way to get to the South Atlantic British Overseas Territory was via a five-night voyage aboard the RMS St Helena, a 155-berth passenger ship and cargo carrier, and one of the last ocean-going vessels still to carry the title.
But now, weekly flights are available from South Africa.
St Helena – which is just ten miles long – is home to remote and unspoilt wilderness and enjoys mild temperatures between 20-27°C.
Britain’s second oldest remaining of the British Overseas Territories, after Bermuda, it has a population of just 4,255.
The remote destination is perhaps best known as the place where Napoleon was exiled after his Waterloo defeat
Discovered in 1502, the island was stopover for ships sailing to Europe from Asia and South Africa, and Napoleon was imprisoned there by the British.
Longwood House was Napoleon’s home during the last years of his life and is now a museum.
St Helena lay undiscovered for around 14 million years – and evolved its own unique flora and fauna untouched by the outside world.
But almost from the moment Portuguese explorer Juan de Nova was blown there by the Trade Winds in 1502, it assumed an importance out of all proportion to its size.
It was a key stopping place for the ships of the East India Company and other vessels; at its peak, it serviced a thousand a year.